Michigan's Prisons

Lansing, Mich., Jan. 19.- One of the first lobbies to make its appearance in the legislative halls is that representing the Michigan Federation of Labor, which at its annual meeting here last month, decided to confine its efforts before the present legislature to a bilí prohibiting the employment of convicts in Michigan prisona on contracts. This decisión was made on the recommendation of H. C. Barter, the new president of the federation, who, in his speech accepting the office, called attention to the fact that two years ago the labor cr.ions and interests asked for a number of things from the legislature, and so widely was their shot scattered over the whole field of reform that they did not succeed in securing recognition for any of their demands. It was largely on his advice that the federation decided to give attention to nothing elsa during the pending session. While the delegates were thus solicitous about the abolishment of the contract labor system in prisons, they had nothing definite to offer as a substitute for the employment of the prisoners, the best they essayed to do in this direction favoring co-operation with the wheelmen with a view to employing the convicts on the highways of the state as far as practicable, and looking to the cultivation of larger prison farms. Faxntture Men Will Help. The labor organizations will be assisted in their effort by the furniture manufacturera of the state, at least to the extent of an endeavor to secure the prohibtition of the manufacture of furniture in the penal institutions of the state. One of the fiercest fights before the last legislature was made by the furniture men, but their efforts were unsuocessful. This class of citizens consider themselves especially aggrieved because an extensive furniture plant is maintained at the state house of correction at Ionia. They declare that it is biíing run at a material loss to the state, and that this fact, together with the fact that the labor costs the state but a trifle, enables the prison managers to put goods on the market at a ruinously low figure. Those of the manufacturers who make chairs want the state to abolish chair making at the Detroit house of correction, and the labor men will find strong allies in these manufacturers in the fight they propose to make. There is no doubt that all he prison managers and state officials who have had anything to do with the management of the prisons will strenuously oppose any effort to abolish contract labor. Ex-Governor Rich has, as an ex-officio member of the prison boards of control, given this subject much attention during the past four years, and in a recent address he sounded the keynote of the opposition. He declared that while the prisons of the state can not. in the aggregate, be made self-supporting, the state prison at Jackson should be, and charged that the attitude of the labor organizations on this subject has materially added to the difficulty of the problem. Under the present law the convicta can be eraployed on piece work, on contract or on manufacture on state account, and the ex-governor declared that this power cannot in reason be curtailed, for even though all of them have been resorted to, it has been impossible 10 keep all of the convicts employed. It is hls judgment, based on the experience of the past four years. and in this opinión he is sustained by every prison manager in the state, that the contract system is the most profitable and desirable for all concerned, notwithstanding the fact that it is the one most severely criticised by labor organizations and prison reformers. shimlil Pay for Their Malntenance. The ex-governor argued that the men were eonsumers both beiore and after imprisonment. He further maintained that most of them were producers before their imprisonment, and he insisted that they should be made to pay the cost of their conviciton and maintenance. This, too. should be done in a manner that will not reduce the price of free labor. He contended that under the contract system the labor must be sold in the open market for what it is worth, and the man who purchased it must furnish his own capital, sell his own goods, and generally compete with other manufacturers. Attention was called to the fact that convict labor does not bring as much as free labor, nor is it worth as much, as experience has proven, nor is there anything to show that employers of it are, as a class. more prosperous than other manufacturers. If they were. it was insistea that the price of convict labor would be higher. Another point urged was that, under the contract system, the state receives pay for each day's work. retains control of the convicts and eñforces its own discipline. Ths effect on free labor was declared to be no different than if the same number of free men were employed at the same work. except that convicts will not accomplish nearly as much as free men. As a potent reason why the contract system should not be abolished, exGovernor Rich emphasized the fact that under the state account system the state is obliged to furnish active capital for material and tools, money to carry a stock cf manufactured goods and men to sell them. It was stated that experience has proven that in this state it has sometimes cost more to maintain convicts employed on state account than to maintain the same number of insane in absolute idleness. The fact that under the contract system the contractor must pay for his material and labor and sell at a profit or quit the business was mentioiied, and it was urged that as he must purchase both material and labor in the open market, I his competition with other manufact' urers is legitímate and in no way dei grades free labor or reduces the market j price thereof. Particular emphasis was put on the statement that the state does not have to make money when working its convicts on the state count system, the state treasury being practically unlimited, and, if necessary, the manufactured goods can be sold at less than ihe cost of production, thus not only reducing the demand for the pi-oducts for free labor, but also the price of it. Governor Pingree's Rccoinmenclatioiis. The above will constitute the substance of the arguments to be made by those who belive that the contract system is altogethsr the best and most profitable for all concerned and the contest promises to be most spirited. This important question has been brought into still greater prominence just at this time by the recommendation of Governor Pingree in nis inaugural message that the employment of convicts should not be permittedto compete with the great industries. He suggests the idea of attempting to inaugúrate a system of raising beets for the manufacture of sugar or other food plants whlch will not come into competltlon with the farming interests of the state. In order to make prison farms secure temporary stockades might, in his opinión, be built, to be replaced with brick walls, the brick to be made and the walls built by the convicts. No man in Michigan has given more thought to this subject than O. M. Barnes of this city, who is a member of the board of inspectors of the state prison at Jackson, and chairman of the joint boards of the several penal and reformatory institutions of the state. Mr. Barnes was appointed an inspector by Governor Winans when the central board of control of all this class of institutions was created by the j ture of 1891. When the old system of separate boards was returned to in 1893 he was made a member of the Jackson board by Governor Rich, and has ' two years yet to serve. During all these yearshe has made a constant and I painstaking investigation of the j tion of prison labor. For this reason your correspondent sought him out a I few days since and asked iL he had '■ j given the governor's message i eration. Prison Boards Will Co-Operate. "Tes," was the reply, "I have read the message of the governor, and have given that portion of it which relates to the prisons special attention. "In my opinión all the prison boards will co-operate with the governor in all measures for the improvemnt of the prisons. Such is my own purpose, and I believe it is the purpose of all the members of all the boards. The joint meeting of all the boards required by law to be hflld semi-annually is soon to occur, and I mean to ask the several boards, in advance, to be ready to lay before the meeting a report showing to what extent they can carry out the suggestion in regard to farming, , out any new appropriation. All the ! prisons have lands for garden and farming purposes, and all do more or less ! farming already, and it may be that this industry can be much increased j without great increase of expense. "The boards will, of course. follow the i suggestion made by the governor to j proceed with caution. They are anxious to make any change that will be an advantage to the state, and, on the other hand, they are anxious to avoid mistakes. Several of the States have wasted immense sums in changes of prison industries that have resulted in losses instead of gains. The law already allows the carrying out of the suggestions of the governor as to convict labor, if found to be for the best good of the state, and I am in favor of investigating the question of utilizing the prison farms and enlarging them, if found best, as recommended by the governor. We would not thereby escape the objection made to prison labor, for the competition would then be thrown upon the farmers. But after all, no matter what (he convicts do. if they do anything we will encounter objections from some quarter in every field of labor, and in some fields greater difficulties than in others. Even if we go to making streets and roads with convicts we compete seriouly with a large body of free laborers who now do such work. Boards Have Power, "We are thus compelled to look at the matter in all of its bearings. Indeed, I may say that the boards have tempted hitherto to do so, but that will not prevent doing so again, and it may be that with the new views and aids some changes may be found to be improvements. The laivs already sufficiently empower the boards to underiake new kinds of labor if found advisable, and I shall advise a review of this entire subject, althougjh I am inclined to think that the fuller the investigation the more clearly will it appear that very few changes can be wisely made. I shall bo glad if we can increase the number of convicts employed in farm and garden work in the direction suggested by the governor. One serious difficulty has confronted us in respect to farming convicts. It is this: But little can be done on the farm in winter. Perhaps, however, some other kind of work could be founa for them during the winter months. "What the governor says," concluded Mr. Barnes, "about the classification of prisoners and prisons, and the transferring of convicts is, in my judgment, excellent." When the matter of convict labor was before the Iegislative committees two years ago. Mr. Barnes opposed the proposition of the furniture manufacturers of the state that the manufacture of furniture at Ionia and of chairs at the Detroit house of correctionbeprohibited. Those who favored the proposition suggested that the convicts be employed on the streets, and called attention to the fact that none of that class of citizens who are engaged in this work had entered any protest against sueh employment of the convicts. In response to this Mr. Barnes made a telling: point by declaring that there had been no such protest for the reason that the average Street laborer was in ignorante of what was before the legislature, and insisting that, for this very reason, it was the duty of the legislature to protect their rights. He then stated that as soon as convicts appeared on the streets to do the work the day laborer is now accustomed to do, the state would hear a protest of the most emphatic nature, and that, too, from a class of its citizens which, less than any other, can afford to encounter competition. Replying to the suggestion then made that convicts be employed ín making ing, etc, for the use of the inmates of other state institutions, Mr. Barnes showed that this labor would not keep them employed more than orie-tenth of th Urne.